Slaves of the Lord: Path of the Tamil Saints

Placed beside the shrine of the god, the saints are anointed, clothed, and worshipped, being an integral part of temple rituals. To view art forms in their totality and to appreciate the saints and the status accorded to them in the Tamil country, the author introduces their biographical details, the milieu in which they functioned, and includes selected translation of their poems. A complete picture emerges when the strands of poetry and religious history are brought in to highlight a study of the art. This is not simply a book about the images of the saints, but one that will appeal to students of religion and literature. This original and exciting book is of relevance for the history of ideas.